Mining-machine



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

B. A. LEGG. MINING MACHINE.

Patented Sept. 6, 1892.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

B. A. LEGG. MINING MACHINE.

No. 482,046. Patented Sept.. 6, 1892.

mv ma umlgp u@ @wg @if (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

B. A. LEGG. MINING MACHINE.

No..482,046. Patented S Jay, f5, l

UNITED STATES APATENT GEEICE.

BENJAMIN A. LEGG, OF ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA.

MINING-MACHINE.

YSPIECIFI(`JA'1`I01\T forming part of Letters Patenty No. 482,046, datedSeptember 6, 1892.

Application filed September 29, 1891. Serial No. 407,110. (No model.)

plan View of one cutter; Fig. 5, a vertical.

cross -section through the casting of the chain, showing three cutters.Fig. 6 is a side View of casting and center cutter. Fig. 7 isa verticalsection on line of Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the machine.Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the machine. Fig. 10 is a verticalsect-ion through the shaft of thewinding-drums. Fig. 11 is a sectionthrough the sleeve, drum for retracting, and shaft on which itismounted. Fig. 12 is an elevation of the same with the sleeve in section.Fig. 13 is a section through the sleeve, and Fig. 14 is a plan of thesleeve.

My invention relates to the cutters and variable feed for reversing thecarriage in chain mining-machines.

The frame of my machine consists of the two longitudinal beams 1 1,which are grooved on their inner edges lengthwise as guides for thesliding table hereinafter described.

2 is a strap at the forward end of the machine, which connects the twolongitudinal beams 1 1. 3 3 are short sections of channelbars, securedto the strap 2 and supporting the cross-plate 4, upon the under side ofwhich are the spurs a a to set the machine firmly in the iioor.

The four wheels 5 of the machine are journaled in the beams 1 1 by thecrankaxles 6 6.

In the hanger 7, on the under side of the strap 2, is journaled theshaft 8, which eX- tends longitudinally through the middle of themachine to the rear thereof.

The rear truck-frame is substantially the same as the front alreadydescribed.

The sliding cutter-frame lis made up of the following parts: 9 is atransverse plate having ribs to fit in the grooves of the beams 1 1. isa bevel gear-wheel securedupon ashaft extending up from said plate 9.Under said bevel-wheel 10 is a sprocket-wheel 1l, fast upon the sameshaft therewith. Underneath said plate are also two guidesprocket-Wheels l2 and 13. Dropping downward and extending forward fromsaid plate are the two arms 14 and 15, to the forward ends of which isseits under side the three sprocket-wheels 17, 18, and 19. The shaft 8is grooved lengthwise to permit of the longitudinal travel thereon ofthe bevel-wheel 20. The shaft 8 is driven by the sprocket-wheel 2l,chain 22, sprocketwheel 23 on the counter-shaft 24, sprocketwheel 25 onthe forward end of said shaft 24, chain 26, and sprocket-wheel 27 onshaft 28 of motor 29, secured by straps 30 30 to the beams 1 1 and atthe middle point of the length of said beams.

The winding-drums and their connections will now be described. 31 32 arethe bearings for the shaft33. (Best seen in Figs.7 and 8.) Looking in atthe front of the machine on the left-hand end of said shaft is awormvwheel 34, engaging the worm 35 on shaft 24. 57 57 are stands forthe journals of said shafts 24 and 33, and 58 58 braces for said stands.Attached to said worm-wheel is the retracton the shaft. The rope 37, asseen in Fig. 1, after being wrapped around the drum 36, passes aroundthe sheave 55 on the shaft 56, and after being wrapped to the rear ofthe machine around the horizontal sheave 38, journaled on a Verticalshaft secured to rear strap 2, and thence passes down and forward, whenit is attached to the rear of the plate 9. Returning now to the shaft33, 39 is a clutch thereon; 40, a loose advancing drum thereon, securedto which is the gear-wheel 41, also loose on the shaft. At theright-hand end of said shaft is the gear-wheel 42, fast on the shaft,meshing into the gear-wheel 43, fastened on a counter-shaft 44. is aloose gear-wheel on the shaft 44, meshing into the gear-wheel 41, and 46a clutch. Itis apparent that by shifting the two clutches either drummay be made to revolve, and the direction of their pull is renderedopposite by the two gears 42 and 43. On the drum 40 is wound the ropecured the cross-plate 16, havingj ournaled on ing-drum 36,both wheel anddrum being loose IOO 52, one end being secured to said drum. The otherend passes forward around the sheave 53 and back to the forward endofthe plate 9. It is apparent, therefore, that as the two drums 36 and40 normally revolve in opposite directions by reason of theinterposition of the an increased speed, an extra sleeve made in twoparts, as seen in Figs. 11 to 13, is slipped around said drum andsecured theretoby setscrews S S.

My chain and cutters are best seen in Figs.

2 to 6. The chain consists of alternate blocklinks 47 47 and open links48 48. On the block-links are set the cutters 59 59 and scrapers 60 60.

In Fig. l I have shown only top and bottom cutters with the Scrapers;hutI propose to also use a center cutter, as seen in Figs. 5 `and 6. Thevtop and bottom cutters are set in the blocks at an angle so as to throwtheir cutting-faces apart and make `a wide kerf. The center cutters areset in straight and are designed to break down the rib of coal leftbetween the top and bottom cutters. The cutters are secured to theblocks by set-screws 50 50, which clamp thebodyof thecutterinthe groove62. When the cutter becomes worn, it can be protruded and the set-screwstill fall in the groove 62. The en tting-faces of all the cutters aremade with a V-shaped groove 63 and are also beveled along their edgesfrom their face` to the heel to make a cutting-edge. The V- shapedgrbove facilitates dressing the cutters. The most important feature inthe cutters, however, is that the cutting-edge 63 is sloped back inadirection opposite to that of the movement 0f the chain. The eect ofthis shape is that if there is any slack in the chain at the rear of thecutter said slack is ratherheld back than drawn forward into the kerf inthe coal. This eectually prevents the chain being dragged into andlocked in the kerf of the coal, a consideration which will be dulyappreciated by those familiar with coal-mining.

Prior machines, as far as I am aware, have required guides for the chainalong the whole front of the machine to prevent the locking of thechain. This greatly increased the amount of friction in driving themachine, which I almost entirely obviate. Besides the sprocket-wheelsthere is no guide for the chain at the front ofA the machine except thetwo feet 64 64. The scrapers 60 60 usually alternate with the sets ofthe cutters.

The operation of the machine is as follows: 'Y

After being rolled into a room on its wheels, as can be readily done, asits weight is centered at the middle, the eccentrically-mounted wheelsare turned so as to drop the entire machine and the machine is firmlyset by the spurs'inA the floor. The motor, which is preferably anelectric one, being started, the carriage is fed forward by the actionof the drum 40 until the cutters touch the surface of the coal. Thecutter-chain is then set in motion, as described above. Since the motoris on the stationary frame of the machine, an under cut of five or sixfeet can be obtained with a machine only seven and one-halt' feet long,while if the motor were on the traveling frame the machine to secure theabove results would be eight and one-half to nine feet long. After thecut is inished the spurs can be lifted from the i'loor by insertingapinch-bar under the frame and shaking it. The same result can also beaccomplished by turning the crank-axles on which the wheelsfare mounted;but this consumes unnecessary time. The machine, after the spurs areloosened, is levered along laterally by a bar. As in most coal-mines,props must he set near the breast to support the roof. The importance ofhav- .ing a short machine is obvious.

Having described my invention, I claiml. In a mining-machine, thecombination of a winding-drum, a removable sleeve adapted to be securedto said drum for the purpose of varying the feed, devices for drivingsaid drum, a rope wound on said drum and counected with a movablecarriage, and said carriage movable on a stationary frame, substantiallyas set forth.

2. In a mining-machine, a cutter having a `V-shaped groove on itscutting-edge, said edge being sloped back from the shank to the end ofsaid cutter inadirection reversely inclined to the movement of thechain, substantially as set forth.

3. In a mining-machine, a cutter having a V-shaped groove on its end andits cuttingedge sloped back from the shank to the end of said cutterinadirection reverselyinclined to the movement of the chain, substantiallyas set forth.

In testimony whereof VI have hereunto lset my hand this 23d day ofSeptember, A. D. 1891.

BENJAMIN A. LEGG.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM BEAL, WM. L. HEROE.

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